Thailand Cuts Sugarcane Burn Quota to Meet Green Export Rules

The Thai sugarcane and sugar industry is confronting a transformative challenge, from measures to reduce burning and PM2.5 to the requirements for staying competitive in a global market that increasingly prioritizes environmental sustainability. Yet any adjustment must avoid burdening farmers with costs that drive them into the red.

Sugar Board Pushes to Cut Burned Cane, Adopts New Rules for 2026/27 Season

Bainoi Suwannachatree, Secretary-General of the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB), revealed that in the 2025/26 production season Thailand received 105.86 million tonnes of cane, produced over 12 million tonnes of sugar, and cut the burned-cane share to 3.8 percent through cooperation among farmers, mills, and relevant agencies.

For the 2026/27 season, the OCSB plans to propose lowering the daily burned-cane quota for mills from 20 percent to 15 percent, with a season-long target of no more than 5 percent burned cane. A seven-day halt on cutting and transport is set for 27 December 2026 through 2 January 2027. Cane intake is projected at 97.02 million tonnes.

Reducing burning is not only about solving the haze problem; it is tied to the future of Thai sugar exports, which account for roughly 80 percent of total output and belong to an industry generating more than 200 billion baht in economic value annually.

EU Green Rules Not Directly Applicable Yet, but Thailand Must Be Ready

Global market pressure is evident through European Union measures such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Saroj Srisai, Project Manager at the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand, explained that while sugarcane and sugar are not currently in the direct scope of CBAM or EUDR, Thai operators must brace for indirect impacts — higher energy costs, production-factor scrutiny, traceability demands, and labor standards that buyers increasingly enforce.

Adaptation should follow a "3S" framework: Statistics, Cleanliness, and Cooperation — systematically recording resource use and production factors, cutting cane burning and greening manufacturing processes, and building networks to access green technology and finance.

The Bonsucro standard, the global benchmark for sustainable sugarcane and sugar production, provides a foundation for Thai industry to build on, but the sector must develop verifiable data and production-evidence systems to satisfy tightening market requirements.

Halal Certification Opens Export Doors

Usman Ngamsomchart, Chairman of the Islamic Committee of Nakhon Sawan Province, noted that Halal certification covers not only natural ingredients but the entire production chain — hygiene, contamination control, and verification of chemicals, enzymes, and processing aids.

Operators targeting key markets such as Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates must study each country's requirements, prepare personnel and quality-control systems to match destination standards, and can use the online platform at www.halal.or.th to apply and track certification.

Linking to NSW Cuts Sugar Licensing Red Tape

Meanwhile, the OCSB is advancing digital government services by developing an online licensing and certification system for sugar products linked through the National Single Window (NSW), replacing paper-based, multi-agency procedures with a streamlined online process.

The new system supports registration, application submission, and status tracking through a single request form.